Ed Mickelson, the third-oldest living former major leaguer and the answer to a fantastic St. Louis trivia question, has died. He was 98.
Mickelson’s brief big league career consisted of 18 games from 1950-57 — five for the Cardinals, seven for the Browns, and six for the Chicago Cubs. Along the way he etched his name into the record books by driving in the final run in St. Louis Browns history on Sept. 27, 1953.
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The following year, the Browns relocated to Baltimore, Maryland and were renamed the Orioles.
A three-sport star at University City High, Mickelson stood 6-foot-3, a natural athlete who could’ve taken any path. Basketball earned him a scholarship to the University of Tennessee, but homesickness sent him back to Missouri, where he starred in football and hoops at Washington University in St. Louis.
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Mickelson’s sports career took a detour when he enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944. At the time of his death, he was one of just three surviving MLB players who served in World War II.
After serving for 18 months, Mickelson played basketball for Hank Iba at Oklahoma A&M — on a baseball scholarship — before signing with the Cardinals in 1947. He claimed to have played only 30 baseball games prior to signing, 15 in high school and 15 in college.
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Mickelson debuted in 1950, singling off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn in his second game. But with Stan Musial entrenched at first base in St. Louis, Mickelson’s path with the Cardinals stalled.
Prior to the 1953 season, Mickelson headed across town to join the American League’s St. Louis Browns. After a late-season call-up, Mickelson was in the starting lineup for the Browns’ final game against the Chicago White Sox. He lined an RBI single to score Johnny Groth for the team’s final run — one of only two hits he collected in a Browns uniform.
When the Browns moved to Baltimore, Mickelson did not. He spent the next four seasons in the minor leagues and thrived.
After hitting .300 for the third straight season with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League, the Chicago Cubs purchased Mickelson’s contract for six games in 1957. He went 0-for-12, quietly ending his playing career in his native Illinois.
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Survived by wife Mary, children Eric and Julie, eight grandchildren, and 12 great-grandchildren, Mickelson’s legacy extended beyond the diamond. His 2007 memoir, A Memoir of a Minor League Baseball All-Star, chronicled a journey of perseverance through war, injuries, and the grind of the minor leagues.
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